Mark Burger

4 min read Shop $260, Meyer.com and $156, Amazon.com Welcome to the Esquire Endorsement. Heavily researched. Thoroughly vetted. These picks are the best way to spend your hard-earned cash. I love cooking. For me, coming home, hitting play on a podcast, and putting a meal together is a sacred, meditative process. I’m not distracted by the news, my fingers aren’t rummaging through the many social media sites for cheap dopamine hits, I’m not scanning emails or messages.

NOAM GALAI 6469571282 If Esquire’s 2025 class of Best New Restaurants knows one thing, it’s how to celebrate. On December 9, Esquire and Glenfiddich toasted 33 acclaimed restaurants and chefs with food, cocktails, and one shimmering ice sculpture at Maison Passerelle in New York City. “A lot of work goes into opening a restaurant, especially in this day and age, this political climate, this economy,” said Maison Passerelle Chef Gregory Gourdet.

Congratulations: You scored a reservation. Now you're going to dinner with that person you're into, meeting their parents, or celebrating an anniversary. Maybe you’re sharing a table with your boss, an important client, or both. Your friend just graduated, got promoted or engaged. Whatever brought you to this table, it’s essential to know how to conduct yourself once you’re there. Good table manners might sound boring and outdated, but they're really about respect—for yourself and your fellow diners.